Help Me Pick Between Two Tires...

[cyclesafe]

I will be on the North Star this Summer which is 75% paved and 25% dirt.  I currently own sets of 32mm Continental Top Touring and 35mm (actually 37mm) Schwalbe Marathon XR's.  Which of these two should I use?

[ptaylor]

The Schwalbe Marathon without question. That tire even comes in a 45mm size, which I would prefer over the 35mm if your bike has clearance for it.

Gramps

[cyclesafe]

Where would I buy that tire at a reasonable price.  The price quoted for Schwalbe direct is not reasonable (~$70)!

[richc]

Nashbar has a Schwalbe Marathon for $29. Try Googling it, lots of options pop up.

[cyclesafe]

The Marathon XR is described here:

http://www.schwalbetires.com/on_tour_expedition.php?Nickname=MARATHON%20XR&Image=TireImages/marathon_xr.gif

A much more elusive animal than the Marathon.  (You'd think that Schwalbe could have named their tires to avoid this confusion).  

The XR 35mm (actually 37mm) is available for cheap at Performance, but I've been unable to find an acceptable (cheaper) source than Schwalbe itself dor the 40 mm (actually 42mm) that I thought Gramps was referring to.

[Badger]

I have not did any touring with my new marthons yet just some base mileage however all that I can say is WOW!  I didn't believe there was that much difference in tires.  I won't be using anything else.

[Beep!Beep!]

The Specialized Borough is well worth a look, see my posting in the touring tyre question. Remember you do not always need a knob tyre off road, the trick is to bike slow and let the tyre do the gripping and do not force or spin the tyre. Road tyres like the Schwable Marathon are an all terrain tyre so something like that will do the trick.

[wonderkid]

Looking for the Marathon XR - try Wallingford Bikes (wallbike.com).  They're a little more reasonable ($55 for the folding version).

I have just put these tires on my end-of-the-world touring bike (rohloff hub, 9/6/9 cromoly, S&S coupled) - these are by far one of the best tires you can possibly dream of for touring.  

Rolling resistance is surprisingly low and I have thrashed the side walls on the worst trails you can imagine - zero damage.  Even running 622-42 (700x40c), these are still responsive, with decent grip in the rain, corner very well and absorb road vibration.  A fatter, high pressure tire for touring will be more stable under load and corner better with less risk of pinch flat.  They may be a little slow at the lower speeds or accelerating, but the inertia and stability gives a good rolling tire - perfect for touring.

[ptaylor]

Mount two Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires; the largest your frame will accomodate. Carry a folder (which you probably will not use) the Schwalbe Marathon XR.

Yes, they are expensive, but when I consider all the flats I did not get, I figure I'm paying about $1 per flat missed.

Paul

[biker_james]

I'll vote against the group, as my experience with Schwalbe Marathons left me unimpressed with the way the bike handled with them, and still had a flat in very short order in spite of their indestructable reputation. I gave mine away after a few hundred kilometers. The Continentals have never given either of us a problem, no matter where we've gone. We pack heavy, and this year our holidays was 2000 km of broken pavement in northern Ontario, with zero flats. We have the 37's, not the 32's.